Ferrets

On sunday I am going to pick up two male ferrtes who are just a year old.
I have never owned ferrets before so looking for some tips.
I will be feeding them James wellbeloved food and have bought them a chicken house with a run attached but that wil take a week to arrive so they will have to stay in the 4ft hutch they come with until then.

I will be making them Hamocks ( I use to own rats so know how to do that )
what esle do they like I guess tubes. Whats the best bedding to use. They will live outside. I am going to get them both castrated as I read this cuts down on the smell.
What about litter training ? what do you put in the liter tray?

Look forward to hearing about your ferrets
Kathryn

I'm assuming they are already living together?

We have 3 ferrets (2 polecats and 1 albino). They are brilliant pets and so funny and playful. My 3 year old really loves playing with them, as does Corrie, the lurcher lol. We have got hammocks in their run, as well logs and drain pipes. Ours don't have a litter tray, they just do their business in one corner which we clean out regularly. We lift the hole run and hose it down when needed. They will just go in one corner themselves and if you are going to use a litter tray, just put it where they have decided to go.

We use various stuff for their bedding - whatever is to hand really (hay, straw, chopped straw), but they do like having an old fleece jumper to curl up in. We tend to use the ones that are really old and just chuck them when they get manky.

Helen

When I was considering ferrets, I joined a couple of forums and picked up loads just reading through older threads. There's several UK-based forums so worth looking on Google and joining up
In the end I decided rats would suit our current situation a bit better but am still considering ferrets in the future!

Yes they already live together. I have just been phoning vets to get the prices on castration my local one want £60 each and another vet will only do a vasectomy not castration as they said this is not recomened in ferrets. Everything I read say castrate and idea why the vet is saying this i asked foir more deatails as to why but they couldn't really give a answer just said a vascetomy is better.
We have had rats in the past and I was tossing up what would be best but having done the rat thing thought would try the ferrets.

We have our hob vasectamised and it is fairly common in ferrets but that is only because they will still mate with the jills. Not sure if you know but a jill has to be mated each season (or given the jill jab), as there is a great risk of infection as she will stay in season for a long time. I wonder if your vet was thinking along those lines?

Helen

i would only vasectamise(sp) your ferrets if they live with unspayed jills...i would either castrate or leave au-naturel(if u can live with their cologne)

i had 5 all hobbs and miss them soooooo much


lovely lovely pets imo ...ur gonna have fun

I have just been phone back by the vets and been told the reason for vasectomy over a castration is Adrenal Disease.
They did say this will cost £90 instead of 60 for castration.
So am not sure if they want to make the money or really if it is a great risk.
Unsure what to do now. As they are two males living togther I thought castration would be best and to cut down on the smell.

I also love boy its like the rats boy all the way the girls were just far too energetic

yes hobbs are chilled

...id still go for castration, all vets ive worked with have had no probs with this.

Thanks ,Thats what I was thinking maybe need to look for another vet.

Mine had a litter tray and used it..just put normal cat litter in it..

The had a fluffy cat bed (igloo type) and I filled it with hay and they made a little cosy nest in it..